Opera and like chair.



J, A.- WILKINSON. OPERA AND LIKE CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILBD'OU'LS, 1905; I 1,010,557. Patented Dec.5, 1911.

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cOLliMBIA PLANonRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. n. c.-

J. A. WILKINSON. OPERA AND LIKE CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED 0015,1905

I PatentedDecj, 1911.

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COLUMBIA FLANDGIIAPH cn.,wASl-|INOTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. WILKINSON, OF ATCHISON, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TOJOHN C. PENNIE AND ONE-FOURTH TO ALBERT WANNER, JIL, AND EDWIN WANNER,

NEW YORK, N. Y.

ornR-A AND LIKE CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5,1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WILKINSON, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Atchison, county of Atchison, State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Opera and Like Chairs;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to chairs for public establishments, such astheaters, concert rooms, schools, churches and the like, said chairsbeing composed of interchangeable parts and adapted to be set up,whenever necessary, at their place of use.

The chairs are so arranged that they can be alined and secured either instraight rows or in rows of any desired curvature and they can beadjusted to conform to the varying inclinations of the floor surface sothat one and the same kind of similar chairs can be put up in anydesired place of the room as also for any desired category of seats.

Moreover the said chairs having a strong and durable construction areprovided with suitable arrangements for obtaining a secure andnevertheless easily detachable bearing for the folding seat as also forobtaining a practically noiseless opening and closing of the seats.

The chair arranged according to the present invention consists of anindependent support for the chair-back intended for each chair-seat andof separate lateral parts which separate the supports from each other;finally of a seat arranged as a folding seat and journaled either in thesaid lateral parts or in arms connected to the back supports.

The accompanying drawings represent in Figures 1, 2 and 3- three similarchairs connected to form abench, the latter being shown in longitudinalsection, in cross section and in a plan respectively. Figs. 4, 5 and 6show a modified arrangement of a chair mounted up independently andviz., Fig. 4: shows a vertical section on the line A B of Fig. 5, Fig. 5shows a cross section on the line GD of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 shows avertical section on the line E-F of Fig. 4. Figs. 7 to 11 representdifferent detail parts of the chair.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings the back a of each seatconstitutes together with its two supports or legs 7) an independentstructural part which can be aflixed to the floor so as to stand freelyand independently from the other parts. Between each two contiguousbacks a, that is to say between two contiguous supports or legs 6arearranged the cross pieces or lateral parts 0, which in front restupon a leg (2 and in the rear are connected with the contiguousback-supports.

, In the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the rear ends ofthe lateralparts 0 which are suitably recessed are secured direct to the contiguousback-supports b, so that the distance of the latter from each other iscontrolled by the width of the said rear ends of the lateral parts 0. Toeach lateral part c is screwed one section of the hinge f provided witha flange or with flanges h, for the folding seat 9. In consequence ofthis flange connection the facility is ali'orded in alining theback-supports in various ways either in straight lines or in curvedrows, since before securing the flanges h of the hinges they can bedisplaced upon the lateral parts 0 and brought into proper positionrelatively to the latter. Consequently these 'lateral parts can beplaced either parallel to each other, when the chairs are to be alinedin straight rows or at a slight angle to each other if the seats arealined in curved rows,

and thereupon they can beconnected with.

the flanges.

In the modified arrangementshown in Figs. 4 to 6 the lateral parts 0which are independent from the back-supports, also consist of across-piece resting upon a leg Z and if desired are provided with armrests. The connectionof the lateral parts. 0 with the back-support b iseffected by means of bolts or tubular pieces 70 that are insertedthrough eyes 2' arranged on the rear end of each lateral part c andthrough eyes j adjustably affixed to the back-supports b so as to becapable of a longitudinal displacement and of a rotary motion. Thefolding seats can be swung around the hinges f fitted to arms 6 whichlatter are secured to the back-supports b. When several such chairs areto be alined so as to form a row, a bolt or section of tube k isstuckthrough the eye z of a lateral part c which is common to two contiguousseats, the said bolt or section of tube passing through the eyes j ofthe contiguous back-supports. In this manner the propping of theback-supports is attained also in the case when the distances betweenthe seats are or should be varied, and the chairback which can be swungaround the bolts or tube-sections 70 can receive any desired inclinationand in the case of an inclined floor the required position, before theback-supports are secured to the floor. This connection between thelateral parts and the back-supports, which connection is madedisplaoeable in the direction of the width, can also be carried out inanother manner. As can be seen from Figs. 9 to 11 each lateral part 0(see Fig. l or I) is provided with a transverse recess Z in which aslotted; plate m can be displaced, the said plate m forming at itsextremity a curved jaw which fits the backsupport 6 and is secured tothe same by means of screws. After the plate has been adjusted in itsproper position it is fixed to the lateral part by means of a set screw01,. In case several chairs are alined into a row two displaceableplates 4% are inserted into the transverse recess Z, one above the otherand in such case it is advisable to provide the said plates m on theircontiguous surfaces with teeth or ribs in order to maintain the jaws intheir proper position with relation to the back-supports still beforethe set screw 11 has been secured.

The legs (Z of the lateral parts as also the back-supports b arepreferably made of metallic tubes provided with a wood filler and areinserted into socket-shaped feet 0 which can be screwed onto the floor.In order to permit the adjustment of the said legs in a higher or lowerposition according to requirements the tubes are split to a suitableheight so that the wood screws which pass through the feet 0 can bescrewed direct into the wood after having passed the slits of the tubes(see Fig. 8). The upper ends of the legs 65 are arranged in a likemanner so that the lateral parts 0 can be adjusted on the same in ahigher or lower position.

The tubular back-supports Z) can be provided either with permanent orwith exchangeable backs a. In the latter case the upper parts of thesupports have no wood filler and are split on the height of the back andthe latter is provided on its two lateral edges with projecting beads a(Fig. 4:) corresponding to the interior cross-section of theback-support-tubes and can in this manner be inserted between the twouprights of the back-support, can be easily exchanged and neverthelesssecurely fastened in the required position.

Since the backsupports and the lateral parts are set up quiteindependently of each other and are adjustable both in the direction ofthe height and in lateral direction, the chairs can obviously be set upfrom their constituent parts at the very place of their use, and thedesired distances between the seats as well as the desired alinement ofthe chairs can be established in a precise manner.

Claims:

1. A chair, having a back provided with two legs said back and legsconstituting an independent element of construction, means for securingsaid legs to the floor, and a side piece having a single leg forsecuring it to the floor, said side piece being connected to the backpieces of the chair and being adapted for connection to the back piecesof an adjacent chair; substantially as described.

2. A chair, having a back provided with two legs said back and legsconstituting an independent element of construction adapt ed to besecured to the floor, a side piece having a single leg for securing itto the floor, and interfitting bolts and sockets for adjusting theposition of the said side piece with respect to the back piece;substantially as described.

3. A chair, having a back provided with two legs said back and legsconstituting an independent element of construction adapted to besecured to the floor, a side piece having a single leg for securing itto the floor, and interfitting bolts and sockets for adjusting theposition of the said side piece with respect to the back piece, saidsockets being rotatable; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. WILKINSON.

lVitnesses J. B. CHAPMAN, D. E. FARNswoRTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I); C.

